Scott Dunlap's blog of trail running, ultrarunning, triathlon, and other life adventures. I enjoy the physical, emotional, and spiritual journey of outdoor events and the chance to meet cool people. This blog contains interviews, research, original fiction, new product ideas, and all things trail running.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Inaugural Brooks Falls 50k

Last Sunday, I had the great pleasure of joining ~100 trail runners for the inaugural Brooks Falls 50k put on by Inside Trail Racing. A little rain, a little wind, and a lot of smiles made for a perfect start to the 2012 season!

The Brooks Falls 50k is a hilly monster that climbs over 8,000' vertical in a two loop format in San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica, CA. The weather had been challenging the few days before (my house had no power most of the weekend thanks to storms), but fate intervened just in time for our 8:30am start and gave us a relatively clear day to get our groove on. This was certain to be one of those races where the volunteers were the true heroes for braving the weather while we gallivanted about - so nice of them to give us an excuse to have some muddy fun!

I was stoked to see many familiar faces ready to put in some miles while the rest of the San Francisco area was gearing up for the NFC Championship game between the 49'ers and the NY Giants (sorry 'bout that, Niners). My Inside Trail Racing teammates Gary Gellin (tackling the Half Marathon) and Sarah Lavender Smith (30k) were ready to blaze the shorter distances, while ultra regulars JR Mintz, Darryl Haber, the wicked fast Leigh Schmitt, Beat Jegerlehner, ultracyclist Jill Homer (also UTMB-bound!), and recent ultra-convert Jason Wolf joined two dozen others for the 50k. At 8:30am, the Tim's sent us off for the first big climb.

(Jason hams it up)

(Sarah charges the hill)

(Scenic single track)

(The foggy trees were really cool)

It didn't take long for us to settle into a rhythm through the dense foliage along the creek, and I tagged along with Jason Wolf, Darren Young, and a pack of 30k runners as we zigged up the single track. Views of the ocean caught our glances, while the wet rocks would snap us back to attention with little slips here and there. As we broke out onto the fire road near the top, Gary Gellin and Jonathan Gundersen were already returning, setting a crazy pace for the half marathoners.

I got some flack from the other runners for donning my "moon boots", the Hoka One One Mafetes, but I have to tell ya, there's something very interesting about these shoes. They don't seem to make me faster, but they cut my recovery time in half and make the downhills a lot of fun to bomb. I was curious to see if they had enough traction to hold up in wet and muddy conditions, so this was a good race to try them out. A short sleeve wool shirt, sleeves, and ear warmers seemed to be enough to fight off the wind and rain, while Injinji wool socks kept the toes warm.

(Levitating in my moon boots)

I ran into the first aid station along with Ultra Grand Slammer Franz Dill, who was telling me he had his name drawn for Western States for a third time in a row. Geez! I felt like taking him down to 7-11 to buy some lottery tickets. Darren Young joined us for the next double-hump loop, after stopping to move some course markings that had led a few astray, and we braved the rainy wind that got a little bit stronger with each pass.

(Franz Dill, trail runner and daddy extraordinaire)

(Darren Young bears the number - and stride - of The BEAST!)

It was fun to catch up with Franz and hear about how his family cheered in the New Year from the emergency room, thanks to his son taking a fall at the playground (all is fine). Ah, daddyhood...one of the few things scarier than the Ultra Grand Slam! Franz led us back to the aid station, then bid adieu to finish the 30k while Darren and I went back up the big mountain again. The volunteers were holding on tight to the aid station canopies threatening to take flight with each burst of coastal wind.

(Volunteers hang on tight!)

My climbing felt strong, and I suspected it was the weekly 10x800 routine giving my legs some pep. It appeared I was in 4th place behind a raging fast Leigh Schmitt, Jason Wolf, and Jan Rohde, a runner from Hamburg, Germany, who had relocated to pursue research at Stanford. Leigh and Jason were a solid 20 minutes ahead, so I paced to catch up to Jan, and then embraced my Moon Boot Powers to pass him on the descent. The rain started to come down harder, so I stashed the camera and put on the iPod when I got to the aid station.

I caught Jason Wolf just before hitting the fourth climb, and he was walking back citing some knee issues caused by slipping on the mud. I nodded, knowing I had skated into a few of the switchbacks myself. Too bad - Jason has really done well in his first six months on the ultra scene, including a 7:02 at the Last Chance 50-miler. I think we'll be seeing lots of him this year!

(Darryl Haber getting it done)

The rain picked up again, but it couldn't wash the ear-to-ear smile from my face. Something about this event was bringing me back to the humble roots of why we love this sport. No sponsors on my shirt, no 500+ people at the start, just a gaggle of outdoor enthusiasts making the most of a great winter day. No one captured this spirit more than Chris "Russ" Thomas, who had come all the way from Overland Park, Kansas, to join us for the 50k. You could NOT get the smile off that guys face, and every time I saw him, I found myself grinning for miles. The volunteers would later tell me that he used to weight 400 lbs and caught the ultrarunning bug last year...that guy is my hero!

(Beautiful Pacifica below)

I made the most of the last lap, slowing a bit to navigate the muddy sections, before arriving in 4:54 for second place. Leigh Schmitt had won handily (4:32), with Jan (5:10) and Darren (5:17) coming in soon behind me. Audrey Reyes (5:39) won the Women's division, as did Sarah Lavender Smith in the 30k. Gary Gellin put down a huge time winning the half marathon (1:34).

As I warmed up with chicken soup, it donned on me that I had finished ~20 minutes faster than doing an easier course here four years ago. I'm not sure if it's the training or the crazy shoes, but something is working well! With that, I said my thanks to the volunteers and headed home to watch some football.

Bravo to Inside Trail Racing for a great inaugural race (and nice t-shirts!). They have plenty more races on their agenda for the year, so if you're in the mood for some low-key outdoor fun with great people, this is the place!

13 comments:

Scott, you did a great job (as always) of capturing the event, and it was fun to see you out there. It's interesting you too felt "Something about this event was bringing me back to the humble roots of why we love this sport. No sponsors on my shirt, no 500+ people at the start, just a gaggle of outdoor enthusiasts making the most of a great winter day." That's the feeling I ran away with as well, and it prompted me to write a commentary on the sport rather than a race report, http://www.therunnerstrip.com/2012/01/trail-racing-and-ultramarathoning-today/Check it out because it includes some sage perspective from you :-)

Yes, my daughter got them for me. She said "Daddy, you run like a giraffe", which is not far off when you look at my stride, actually. But then she said "giraffes are really fast" so I felt better. ;-)

Wonderful write-up Scott. Talking with you made the endless switchbacks of the Hazelnut loop fly by! I had mentioned the My Drunk Kitchen while climbing to North Peak. Here's my wife's recommended episode. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTyotI3IHFQ

About Me

I'm a technology entrepreneur who took up trail running and triathloning back in 2001 to get off the work treadmill and see a bit more of the outdoors. I also love to eat, so the exercise helps me justify those extra helpings. ;oP I'm always interested in learning more about trail running - please comment and link away!

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